tram13

Hi kcotts! I got married in December 2013, and went with the free package. I did consider other packages, but when I priced things out, the free package still was a better dollar value for myself. You should look at the other packages and decide if the "upgrades" are what you want and worth it to you and if you would utilize them. Then compare to what it would cost if you did the free package and picked and choose what upgrades you want. See which in the end, would be a better deal for you! I hope that helps!

Also - I did get back everything that I brought down for the wedding. Vinnette just left the suitcase that had all the wedding supplies in it at the reception - and my guests just helped tear down and pack up when it was over. It didn't take very long either. I guess, like they say - many hands make work light!

Hi! 1) I do agree - $450 is waaay too much! I bought 24 lanterns - of varying sizes (ranging from 10 inches to 18 inches) in three different colors, white, green and purple. The price per lantern was anywhere from $1.09-2.09. I bought the paper lanterns and the sky lanterns from www.justartifacts.net. I bought 48 sky lanterns along with my paper lanterns, and it cost me $105.49 for all the items including shipping (I had it delivered to the states, and a friend of mine brought it to me). I just brought some fishing line with me and the wedding people set it up for us. I didn't give them any directions on how I wanted them hung - but what they did was just fine. All the lanterns (paper and sky) didn't take up too much room in our suitcase, but we did bring an extra suitcase for all of our decorations and welcome bags for our guests. 2) We did the lanterns after the dinner and cake were served, right before the dance. Since we rented the Piscis, we could access the beach right next to it to set them off. Worked perfectly. I bought a couple of lighters and brought that down with me as well, so that we could light the lanterns. 3) We did bring sparklers in our suitcase and had no issues. If you're worried about it, I would call the airlines that you are flying with and double check with them. I bought our sparklers from: http://www.sparklersonline.com/ Feel free to ask any more questions, I am more than happy to help if I can, because I know how stressful it can be to plan when you're so far removed from the actual venue!

Hi Everyone... This is a VERY long overdue review of my wedding. I got married at the GBP Jamaica on December 06, 2013 at 2:30 pm. I have to admit, that I, myself, had issues with establishing a date and time and getting it confirmed (date changed 4 times, and one of those reasons was because I got double booked - in the end it got cleared up, but it made me desperate to get a confirmation). But, at the same time, once you get there - even though they do seem disorganized and uninformative while we are so far away - they actually do have everything under control and do their best to make your day what you imagined it to be. Vinnette was my coordinator, and she was lovely to work with. We went over everything that was discussed in e-mails at our meeting, and firmed up all the details, numbers, menus, colors, etc. I did suggest that they have a weddings FAQ page, seeing as how lots of people are dissatisfied with e-mail responses from the wedding group at GBP, and often times, it seems that the answers are always different. Don't know if my suggestion was taken or not...but, I do think it would help with a lot of the uncertainty and angst we feel while over seas. But, I assure you, they will do their very best to make your dream day happen! You just have to be patient and wait until you get there - which I know is easier said than done. But, no sense stressing over something that you can't really control. But, if you are absolutely besides yourself, I recommend calling them, even though unfortunately, they do not have a 1-800 #. They are very easy to talk to and it's very easy to firm up details with them when on the phone. Also to note - the GBP does have an app - where you can "find your way" around the resort and book your a la cartes and other stuff. I didn't download it, and didn't know about it until the day before I left, but thought I would just pass it on. I digress. Sorry...about the wedding. So...as I said, Vinnette was amazing to work with. I had 24 guests, 26 people in total when you include me and my husband. We opted for the free wedding package, but booked a private reception at the Piscis (as we wanted an outdoor venue, seeing as how we were somewhere tropical and wanted to maximize on that!). We didn't get the private bar (wasn't included in the 2013 packages, unfortunately). However, we did ask Vinnette if it was possible to have water and juice at the reception (please keep in mind that if you don't have a bar, they will serve water, wine and beer for your dinner, but I don't think they served any mixed cocktails). At the meeting, she didn't promise anything - however, at the reception, I was pleasantly surprised to find that she had set up some pop, juice, water, and even had some gallons of pre-mixed rum punch! On the morning of the wedding, we woke up to it storming outside! I was a little worried - as we getting married at the gazebo and had the outdoor venue. Thankfully, the weather held true to most tropical locales, and the weather cleared up by noon - and stayed clear for the wedding and the nighttime venue. I don't think it started raining again until the next day. Yay! I actually had my makeup done at the salon, and they did a great job! I am not used to wearing a lot of makeup (as my everyday look is actually no makeup at all), and they did a great job at interpreting what I wanted (fairly natural, but "enhanced") and still making it look good for photos. It was a great way for my mom and I to spend some quiet time just the two of us, as she had booked her hair appointment at the same time. Thankfully, one of my friend's who came for the wedding was a hairdresser, and she did my hair for me. I had already had my nails and toenails done before I had gone down to Jamaica. The only downfall I had with the spa was that I was not able to get a trial of the makeup done. I did book it, but when I had gone for the trial, I was told that they weren't able to do it because the stylist I was booked with wasn't working that day. Blag, I know. But, I just went with it - they assured me that she was really good - and it turned out just fine! For my flowers - I had actually bought some silk flowers off of Etsy. I was wanted to be able to bring my flowers back with me for a keep sake...and I think that anything I would've wanted from Tai Flora would've been an upgrade - and in the end...my silk flowers would've been cheaper than an upgrade - and will last longer - and could come back with me. It was just a preference. We didn't get a boutonniere for my husband - because we were also doing a lei ceremony (I'm from Hawaii and wanted to incorporate that into our ceremony, we did this instead of a candle or sand ceremony). So, instead of having flowers, Vinnette gave us a tropical center piece, which we used on our signing table, and at our sweetheart table for the reception. For the ceremony itself...it started a little late...I was a bit panicked in my room, wondering why it was past 2:30 pm, and I was still in my room, waiting for someone to pick me up. I called down, and they came and got me shortly. (I found out after the fact, that my husband - then fiance - had met up with everyone at the lobby bar as they had previously arranged, but somehow missed the fact that I told him to meet everyone there...and then walk down together to the gazebo! So, I guess Vinnette found them there, and had to get them to the gazebo first before coming to get me). For the ceremony and vows - we actually scripted our own (I got TONS of ideas from one of the threads on this website), and we formulated the vows together. Vinnette did say it's okay, but just asked that I sent them to her in advance. I just e-mailed it to her once we had finalized our script (like 2-4 weeks before we our wedding, I think). She said she likes to give it to the minister in advance, as he might need to alter the script a bit in order to make sure certain parts are properly worded to make things, "legal and binding". I was all for it, as that's what I wanted - to make our marriage legal and binding! The minister was really sweet. I think he read the script briefly beforehand - and it was really cute because as he was reading it, he would pause and say things like, "that's true" - so you could tell he was agreeing with what we had decided we wanted said about our relationship and marriage. We also wanted to write our own script to involve the parents (we asked for their blessing as part of our ceremony) and to involve our guests (who were friends and family) and ask them for their support and encouragement in our marriage when we need it. A funny moment in the ceremony is that the minister presented us as husband and wife without the kiss. So, I asked, "Don't I get a kiss?" And the minister quickly backtracked, did the kiss, and presented us again. Hahaha. I'd say the only thing that didn't happen for the ceremony is that I had asked for the gazebo to just be plain white for the decorations...and there was blue (my colors were green and lavendar!). But, in the end, even though it wasn't what I wanted and it wasn't my colors, it still looks great in the photos. And, since you are the one doing the planning, you are probably the only one who will notice these mishaps, and no one else will! No biggie. :-) For the reception - Vinnette was awesome, and did our introduction for us, since we didn't think to designate an emcee. We bought a bunch of paper lanterns in green and white and purple for decorations, wedding favors, and a little "thank you" place card idea that I got off of Pinterest. We also brought our own drinking game, sky lanterns, and sparklers for the grand exit. We didn't have a whole heck of a lot for decorations, but it still looked beautiful! I didn't give any direction on how I wanted the lanterns set up, but they did a great job, and everyone loved it. For our meal, we ordered off of the Dolce Vita menu. We had the caprese salad (I read on this forum that the lettuce is bitter, but I actually didn't find that at all, the lettuce and salads at the resort were just fine!), spinach ravioli, the chicken (can't remember what kind) and the profiteroles for dessert. We also ordered the chocolate cake - it was delicious. It was kind of amusing for me, as I have heard this from numerous other brides on this forum (please note that I have read all 544 pages!), even though the cake was delicious, I had asked for it to be as plainly decorated as possible, but still ended up with lots of frosting swirls. But, no biggie. It still looked nice and was great to eat. We didn't see a slice of the cake at all after the reception. They were nice enough to slice the cake after we cut it and serve it with the other desert. It's a lot to eat, and we were full and satisfied by the end of the 4 courses! For our reception configuration, we had a sweetheart table for us (it was nice because we got some alone time and could enjoy our food - but we did end up pulling another chair up to the table so guests could feel free to visit if they wanted) and 3 round tables that seated 8 each. We also had another table that had our kissing game set up (people had to take shots of rum), our sparklers, and our sky lanterns. We also brought with us a bottle of "Hales" wine as our "guest book" (Hales is our last name) and gold and silver permanent markers to sign the bottle and for people to write "wishes" on the sky lanterns. All in all, the reception venue was beautiful. Loved hearing the waves crashing behind us. And even though it was warm, our guests still had a blast (not much of a breeze down there) - and I have heard that sometimes the Grill and the Dolce Vita can get warm...actually, when we went to the Grill for our a la carte dinner, it was pretty warm in there. We had the DJ as part of the venue - and he played his own stuff, and it was great - people danced the night away. We did burn our own CD with about 21 songs - including our pre-ceremony songs, my processional song, our recessional songs, songs for after the ceremony, our first dance song, and also a song for a surprise for my husband - I danced hula for him. Aside from our first dance song and my hula dance song, he played all his own stuff, and took requests. He didn't make any announcements (aside from notifying us when the last song was gonna play), but that was okay. All in all, we had a lovely day. My husband just wanted to get married somewhere warm, where there was a beach. Mission accomplished. We loved getting married in the gazebo - both my husband and I are rather private and reserved people, so it was nice not having tons of gawkers (there are a few people who will be out on the beach by the gazebo...so they will see you as you walk down the aisle and watch your wedding - but they aren't going to be in your pictures for the most part). Our guests loved the resort and had so much fun there. The food is pretty good, more hits than misses. We did have a couple of comments that some of the staff at the resort were rude, but most were pretty friendly. They have up to 3 weddings a day, but all the staff make you feel really special and almost treat you like you are the only bride present at their resort. We would definitely do it all over again - and do it the same way! If you get rained out they do have a back up venue for you - we actually saw a wedding held in the foyer as they got rained out (it was the day before we left the resort). As for the pictures, we didn't ask for anyone specifically - we got Nicol - and he took nice pictures. However, I love pictures, and if they were the only pictures I had, I would've been a bit disappointed. I did bring down my own photographer - and they knew she was a professional photographer - but elected not to charge me $800 since it was everyone's first time to Jamaica. Thankfully! And I am so happy that I brought down my own photographer. Here's her blog post with photos from the wedding - and you'll see why I am so happy I brought her. (I hyperlinked it for you guys! And she travels, so if you like what you see, I'm sure you can contact her and inquire. But, she is based out of Calgary.) Here are some photos from the resort photographer (hopefully the links work): https://www.dropbox.com/s/qr36akou3qao11n/Nicol%20Davis%20Photography_1.jpg https://www.dropbox.com/s/00cizfbpiy3tg1j/Nicol%20Davis%20Photography_-8.jpg https://www.dropbox.com/s/nsgfov6wkr898pn/Nicol%20Davis%20Photography_-11.jpg https://www.dropbox.com/s/97q3ug6swlgnvq9/Nicol%20Davis%20Photography_-12.jpg We also did do an after the wedding photo shoot with my photographer, Cassie, from Cassie's Camera. Thankfully, I took some taxi advice from another bride here, acw271011 - and hired Spencer's Taxi and Tour. Michael, himself, wasn't our driver for the day, but he did arrange us with a great guy, who basically did whatever we wanted for about 4 hours. Michael Spencer did actually go out of his way to meet up with us and introduce himself, which was so sweet. Here is his contact information: The email is spencer_tour@yahoo.com and there are 2 phone numbers: 876-842-0527 or 876-326-5436. I just contacted him by e-mail, and he actually arranged to call me at the resort to finalize arrangements. I would highly recommend that you use his services! We also did go to Dunns River Falls, we were lucky enough to arrange our tour on a day that there wasn't a cruise ship in. It was really pretty and fun, although the hand holding is a little over the top. But, I guess, safety first! I am sure that there are a million things I may have left out - sorry! I tried to recollect as best as I could (the delay was because we took possession of our first house when we returned from Jamaica, we were there for 10 days, and have been busy with that. I kept forgetting to write the review, and would remember at work, but would forget once I got home.) Anyhow...if you have any questions - please feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer. Best of luck to all you guys in your wedding and your plans! I am confident it will be beautiful!! <3, t oh! I forgot to mention - the other guests at the resort were really cute! As we would walk by (while taking pictures after the ceremony) we got tons of congratulations, cheering, and applause. It was like being a mini-celebrity for the day. It was also a bit of a confidence booster when people stop to tell you how beautiful you look. At the same time, it was nice to go back to being "normal" the day after. I'm so sorry to hear about these complications - but so happy that it worked out the best for you in the end! Glad that you still had our beautiful day! Congratulations once again on your wedding and becoming a Mrs!

I believe that the long form is preferred, as it has both of your parents names on there. I do believe that some brides have gotten away with the short form - but, I would either go with the long, or double check with your WC to be on the safe side. The fee to have a PRIVATE reception (with the Pisces qualifies as) would be in addition to any wedding package fees. It does include the DJ. I do believe that some of the 2014 packages may cover the open bar - but for me getting married in 2013, an open bar would be extra (at $23 per person per 2 hours). I get married tomorrow! Reception at the Pisces. Eeek!

*need, not eat. Sorry for the typo!

Hey AlLo, They usually want the paper work and all the notarized documents couriered to them 3 months before the wedding date. I am sure you can change a lot of the stuff later on, but they still eat everything filled out to the best of your ability and sent to them.

P.S. If you look through some of the photos on this forum, you can see what the sandbar looks like.

Quote: Originally Posted by janicemarie29 Has anyone gotten married on the beach? Hi, If you read through the forum, there are a few brides who have gotten married on the sandbars adjacent to the gazebo. Apparently, it's not fine, soft sand - it's a bit rockier. I haven't heard of anyone getting married on the actual beach...but a recent bride has said that even their main beach isn't the best.

Quote: Originally Posted by MrsViolo Hey there, I'm getting married January 2014. I keep seeing people posting about the Pisces costing $2500 to rent out (on this forum and another). I was quoted $1700 when i booked so that's what i'm planning for. I'm afraid to email them to ask because i don't want to have evidence of them telling me the price went up before we're ready to pay when we get there! I'm definitely bringing all the emails with me where they quote the prices. Anyone having to pay $2500 for the Pisces yet? or is that a 2014 thing? I have also been quoted $1700, but I am getting married in 9 days! Eeek! When I got a phone call from Kalfani, he tried to tell me that it was $2500, but I insisted that I had been told $1700, and have e-mails to prove that's what's been quoted, and he backed off and said, "Okay, $1700". I think they are trying to bump up the prices to get more money. But, that's just my thoughts.

Quote: Originally Posted by CdnBrideJoanne I don't arrive til late in the evening of Dec 7. I hope that your wedding is everything you want it to be!! Mine is the 10th at noon. I still have odds and ends to do as well such as doing a schedule of events but I did finish up our vows this past weekend. I never even asked if I could write my own so I hope it's ok. You can totally write your own! I asked Vinnette about this, as we both didn't really care for the ceremony script. So we wrote our own as well, and Vinnette just asked me to send them to her so that she can forward them onto the Minister for his review. Hope that helps! :-)

Jenna, Thank you so much for your review and sharing your pictures! You looked amazing and I am glad to hear that everything worked out perfectly. Thank you for the tips on the taxi drivers, etc - do you know where you got your booze and how much you ended up spending? Also, thanks for the tips about the spa - my mom has set up a hair appointment for herself and a make-up appointment for myself for the wedding day. I have printed off the confirmation e-mails (thankfully, my mom forwarded all that information to me) and will take them with us. I will also inquire about a make-up trial, because I do believe that is included! I was just wondering - you stated that the resort wasn't your favorite. May I ask why? Congratulations on becoming a MRS!

Quote: Originally Posted by CdnBrideJoanne My dress looks soooooooooo much better! There is nothing that can be done with the hem so I just have to hope that the dress will always be flowing and moving and nobody will notice. The new and improved seamstress took 6 inches of material away from the hip area of my dress!! So now I don't look like I am drowning in my dress anymore. It still fits loosely but it is much more flattering now. I pullled out my suitcases and have been putting odds and ends in it like my swimsuits and shorts. I have bought so much stuff to bring with me I hope I don't forget anything either! You'll have to spy on my wedding on the 10th lol. Oh!! I am sooo happy to hear this!!! You must feel so relieved! Fingers crossed that I feel the same way about my dress when I'm reunited with it in Jamaica! I've made lists as I bought things along the way so that I don't forget them. I still have some things that need to be done, like printing programs, etc. But, I will make sure to have it all done before we leave on the 3rd. I would definitely love to spy on your wedding. :-) what time is it at? My guests are leaving that day, but the FI and I are staying a few days later until the 13th. You can definitely spy on my wedding, too if you like and are there. My wedding is on Friday, December 06, 2013 at 2:30 pm. :-)

Quote: Originally Posted by CdnBrideJoanne Quote: Originally Posted by tram13 I would definitely do the same - and if that seamstress ruined your dress - I would be demanding my $100 back at the very least! I'm not ready to look at small claims just yet. I think I am going to wait until after the wedding day and our house possession date before I take that on! The seamstress that I took my dress to in BC has done alterations on two of my good friend's dresses - and she knew what she was talking about. She picked out imperfections in my dress and said she would fix them. She is altering the back, hemming (2 layers), taking in the dress, and altering the under layer (as it is "bigger" than the lace overlay)...for about $50-$70. So, not only I'm I confident that she does good work, it's a steal of a deal! I'm really hoping that it all works out in the end and that if fits properly. Because - I'm not shopping for a back up! Fingers crossed that your neighbourhood seamstress does good work and can make your dress fit you properly! Do you think the hem will be noticeable, or does it stand out to you because you know it's there? Your seamstress sounds amazing. Too bad she didn't live closer to you!! I think that if people even notice that my dress is shorter on one side they wouldn't dare to say anything. I think that seeing as it is such a light chiffon that the dress will always be in motion and most people won't pick up on it. I will be very conscious of it though. I got a call tonight that my dress is ready for my fitting tomorrow so keep your fingers crossed. How'd it turn out? I've been thinking about you and hoping that everything turned out okay!!! This is my last weekend not working before heading down to Jamaica. We leave on December 3rd...so I'm spending it packing. Gah! I really hope I don't forget anything!

Quote: Originally Posted by oceanlover18 Quote: Originally Posted by tram13 It's actually quite common with this resort, it seems. Definitely continue to confirm and continue to ask until you get that confirmation. I've had to re-schedule my date 4 times...part of those times due to my travel agent's errors (we are no longer working with her) - and in part because of the hotel. they had us double booked for one day, and told my TA everything was fine...but when I tried to confirm, they told me they had nothing confirmed for me for that day. Not impressed. So, when the fourth date was picked, I was pretty darn insistent that they confirm date and time over and over again... Who have you been dealing with at the hotel? I started off dealing with an assistant wedding coordinator named Stephany - but she is no longer there, I don't know why. Now, I've mainly been dealing with another assistant wedding coordinator named Vinnette...and another person in the weddings department named Kalfani has contacted me, too.